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Why Don’t We Paint the Outside of Our Houses Anymore?

While many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers will remember their parents’ homes being painted at least once when they were growing up, Millennials and Gen Z’s might have never seen the outside of a home being painted.

And that’s both a good and bad thing.

There are two reasons that house exteriors don’t see a fresh coat of paint as often as before. First, there are far fewer wooden homes and wooden elements on homes than there used to be. Wood needs painting regularly because of its natural moisture absorption, and expansion and contraction, eventually causes paint to bubble, crack and peel.

The second reason is the popularity of vinyl siding, which not only lasts for a very long time, but it keeps looking good throughout that lifespan. So there’s never any cracking and peeling to cover up.

That’s the ‘good’ part about the lack of exterior painting. Vinyl siding, and even the vinyl of your garage doors, is virtually maintenance-free – you don’t have to go through the chore of painting.

So what’s the bad pat about the lack of exterior painting?

Well, it’s not really ‘bad’. Let’s just say that, if you take a look around your neighbourhood, you’ll probably see a lot of white, or beige, or grey siding and garage doors. In other words, lots of shades of gray and brown.

It’s a smart choice. Vinyl siding manufacturers and homebuilders know that homeowners want neutral colours to protect the value of their homes. Buyers are less likely to choose a home with unusually bold exterior colors.

But that’s no reason for you to settle only for the colours of the siding on your home. It might not need to be painted because it’s cracked or worn, but you can paint it to update the look of your home and increase its curb appeal.

When you do, you might just make it more appealing than the houses around you that are still clad in the usual colours.

Take a look at this article, ’10 Gorgeous Paint Colors for Your Home’ that shows how you can use blues and greens and yellows and many other colours to help give your home a whole new look, without being too ‘bold’, and maybe even increase the value of your home.